893: The Easiest Podcast System for Creators Who Want to Start Strong and Grow with Ease

25:45So overt marketing is like super in your face. It's very clear. It's like a commercial on the TV for the Big Mac, right? Covert marketing is one of the most underutilized things that entrepreneurs should be doing right now, which means you're talking about the thing without selling the thing. Okay. So here is what I would do, Megan. So absolutely, I would say lead with you and your own story. Every single episode, I would reference your health store in some way. So you could even be like, the other day, a customer came into my health store and they asked me this question. And then you tell your personal story.

26:26So you've just planted the seed. I have a health store. and I am an expert, right? And so I would look for ways to overtly include your business, a customer experience, a product you've tried or sold into every episode and you don't have to feel like you're like slamming it down people's throats. And so how do you incorporate in stories? So like, here's an example of this. I could say, oh my gosh, Megan, this morning I woke up, this is a real story. I woke up and one of my students, Diana Rice, she was on Pinterest. Her views went up 999 % in a week. And I could just say something like that, right?

27:04Which is true. And I'm not saying, hello, I have a course about this. It's like, can you imagine what would that look like for you? Right? And so when you're doing a podcast, since it's beautifully long form content, you want to just start paying attention to your own stories, the stories that you're experiencing in the business. And then every single episode, it's so easy to weave it in. You can link it in your descriptions and show notes. You could talk about a specific product and the benefits of it. You could also include in like a little short segment into every episode that could be, let's say two minutes long.

27:41And you could say, here's like the product of the week and then talk about your own personal experience with it. So there's so many different ways you can do it. And I just think for my brain, it always helps to be like, is this going to be more overt where I'm like talking about the thing specifically for the thing? Or is it going to be more covert? And how can I weave something in that is a natural extension that gives value, but it also helps remind people of what I do and why I do it. So for me, that's been so helpful. So I think there are so many different ways. If I were you, every episode, I try to tell a story about something that happened in the health store.

28:17So you talk about it. I would try to tell a personal story of something you learned and overcame or something that you've learned the hard way maybe. And then maybe I would do a three minute highlight on some sort of health product that nobody considered. Wouldn't that be fun? Amazing. I love that. So currently right now in the middle of my episodes, I've created like an ad where it says, this episode is sponsored by natural vibe where we sell all things and I go on. Is that a good idea or am I better off just being more natural with it? Cause I've kind of created my own ad. No, do both. Okay.

28:51All the things. And here's what I would say too, that is helpful. If you have the ability to track the traffic that comes from the podcast, like we were so bad at data for so long, I just ignored it. but if you could have a specific link that only podcast people would use it would be super helpful for you to just see and connect the dots more even if five people visited your website because of your podcast that matters right it's like you don't need a bajillion people you need x amount and so I like having the data and so now any links that we use in the podcast are podcast specific just so that I can see where it's coming from and for me that helps me see the return on the investment and make it worth it.

29:35I think sometimes when people burn out on podcasting, it's because they're having a hard time connecting the dots of like, why is this worth my time? Yes. And so that can be helpful. And then same thing too, if you're a guest on other people's shows, having some sort of way that you can track how much traffic you're getting from one show is super great. So like, let's say if I went on your show and I had a link, like if you go to jennacutcher.com slash Megan, Yeah. You can learn blah, blah, blah. And I could track that. You can also see trends or be like, oh, wow, this super niche show performed so amazing.

30:09Right. It's just I think it can help guide your decisions and just make you more definitive that like, yes, this is worth it. This is working. Yes. Wow. Yeah. I love that. So that sort of leads me into my next question. You know, one thing about you, Jenna, with your Gold Digger podcast is you have this amazing community. I'm in that Facebook group. I see how supportive everybody is with one another. And I'm wondering, what have you done to really create that connection with people, not just to tune in, but to engage, buy, or share the show with others? I love that. I mean, I love our community.

30:50Even yesterday, we had an experience where there was some issue with tech and there was like a thousand people from my community on, and they were the kindest, most amazing humans. And I just like, every time something like that happens, which I hate because of course nobody wants tech to go bad. Anyone in the world of online business knows it happens. I just am always like, how freaking lucky am I that these are the people in my corner. So I love that you notice that and that you get to experience it. So one thing I would say is like create connection points off of the podcast. So a lot of times you listen to a podcast and you're kind of like left with like now what like or like where do I go and one thing that I think would be awesome especially in the health space where you were already talking about like how one day you can hear this is good and then the next thing like how could you create a resource to where people can connect with you because especially if you're getting a show started people want a way to connect with you and the best way that you can data mine and get insight into what people will actually listen to and what questions they actually have is making yourself available.

31:55I'm still active in our Facebook community. Yeah. Not as active as I was in the beginning where it's like every comment I would be like, yeah, like in on it. Yeah. But I go in there all the time because it's like, I want to see what are people struggling with? What questions are they asking? And so I would say create a connection point off of the podcast. It doesn't have to be a Facebook group, but to me, I love it personally. Cause it's like Instagram DMS are great, but you're only benefiting one-to-one and you don't have the bandwidth to like constantly deliver in that way. I also think an email list is amazing.

32:28You know, I love email lists, just somewhere where people can talk back to you, where it's a conversation and not a monologue. Another reason why I love the Facebook community is like, we let people connect. We want people to connect in real life, right? Like connect with other listeners. I have so many people that have hired other gold digger listeners and met up in cities together and different things like that. And so it's like, it creates this like just ecosystem of connection, which is what I want. Make sure that every episode you do has some sort of prompt. So whether it's asking them to do something, inviting them to join you somewhere, engaging with you on some sort of place.

33:09For me, I love the Facebook community just because it feels more exclusive where it's like an Instagram story. Yes, you can share that, but then it's just gone. And so kind of figuring out who's listening, what are they enjoying and what questions do they have? However you want to data mine that. And then also like highlighting your listeners. So like last month was small business month. And so we played clips from listeners about their businesses, or we do the Q and A's where listeners are calling in and asking their questions. And so it's not just about me, Like it's about this community and who I'm creating it for.

33:44And so figuring out interesting ways that you can highlight your listeners, whether it's a question that they've asked or something you've seen or a DM you've got, like make them the star and people will stick around and they'll bring friends. And so I think that is like the way that you want to do that is don't let your episodes just be the dead end. Like where do they go from here? And then how can you connect with them so that you can get that insight into what do they really need? You know, I only share stuff I'm genuinely obsessed with. And so when I kept seeing Bolin Branch sheets all over Instagram, I was like, okay, are these actually worth the hype?

34:21Drew and I have been using their sheets and duvets for over a year now. And honestly, our bedroom feels like a completely different space. The moment you touch these sheets, you'll get it. They're incredibly soft to start, but they literally get softer every time you wash them. They're made from 100 % organic cotton. So they're super durable and they're breathable, which is perfect for piling on cozy layers without turning into a furnace at 2 a.m. This is hands down the best bedding I've slept on and I'm so genuinely excited for you to try it. Start building your sanctuary of comfort this fall with Bowl & Branch.

34:54For a limited time, get 20 % off your first set of sheets plus free shipping at bowlandbranch.com slash golddigger. That's bowlandbranch, B-O-L-L-A-N-D branch.com slash golddigger to save 20 % and unlock free shipping. Exclusions apply. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm all about creating spaces where people actually want to be. So when we started hosting on Airbnb, it honestly felt like the most natural thing in the world. And it's turned into one of the best decisions we've ever made. Over the years, we've hosted hundreds of couples in our little spaces. We've had so many repeat guests come back and we've created this incredible community, not just with our guests, but also with the people who help us care for our space.

35:37whether you've bought properties as an investment or have unused rooms waiting to be shared hosting on Airbnb is a practical and profitable choice and just think about it if you've put a ton of time effort and work into your home someone out there probably would love to experience it while they're traveling so next time you're planning a trip or want to make some extra income from your spaces you should definitely host on Airbnb your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host. Oh, I love that. And it actually just gave me the thought, you know, having maybe like a busy mom on the podcast to tell me about, you know, three things she's struggling with.

36:19And we can have that conversation because, you know, if one person's struggling, other people are too. And then you're bringing in that those questions that will create value for tons of people, but you're also making that connection too. So I love that. And I love that too, Megan, because a lot of times when you have a depth of knowledge in a certain area, things that are common sense to you are earth shattering for other people. And so oftentimes we can almost get stuck in our own little world where it's like, surely everybody knows this or surely everybody's algorithm is the same as mine. And it's like, no.

36:57And so I think it's so beneficial. Like I love these coaching conversations because they're with people from the community who came on because you are in my community. And these are the real questions, right? It's helpful and inspiring to hear people that have figured it all out, right? But it's more relatable to be with people that are also in the trenches. So I love that. And I also think it helps you speak the language of your listener, not the language of your expertise where you are at. So I love that. Yes. So that actually leads me to my last question here. And I would love your honest take on this.

37:33So yeah, in those first early podcasting months, did you ever question whether it was working? So I have a hard time, you know, looking at my listens or my downloads and maybe having these higher expectations than I should. So how do you know if your podcast is gaining traction versus when it might be time to pivot and maybe find another avenue to focus on. Yeah. Okay. So when I started my show, honest to God, it was an experiment because I was like, I still to this day struggle with like committing to something that you have to show up for consistently because I'm like, I don't know what I'm going to feel like a week from now.

38:18And so I started it as an experiment. I think that the more honest and vulnerable I got, the more that I felt its impact both personally and also with listeners. But here's what I'll say. Like I have been doing this for what? Almost 900 episodes. It's crazy. You have to care about it or tie it to something bigger than the results. And for me, something that's been interesting is like this now feels like my story. So I almost envision like my daughter someday just like hitting play on something like, what was mom doing when she was 37? What thoughts was she thinking? Right? So it feels like a legacy.

39:06It feels like a place where like I get to ask my biggest question. So it doesn't necessarily feel like I'm hosting interviews anymore. It feels like I get the opportunity to pick people's brains that I would never get if I didn't have this platform. So that's a huge result, right? And so when you're looking at it and you're tying it to something, you have to tie it to something personal to you bigger than the external validation or results. The other thing that I would say is get super honest about like what is a result for you that isn't the masses. This is something that I feel like I am really unpacking in my life because I've been in this position, which is such a blessed position, to be able to speak to the masses for so long.

39:52But like what I'm ultimately craving is like deeper connections with fewer people. And so it's like how many people do you truly need to meet? Like if somebody called you today, Megan, and they live in Canada and they're like, Hey, I have 30 people coming to my office. Could you come speak to them on something you care about? Would that feel valuable to you? Absolutely. Maybe, maybe not. So yeah. And so it's like, get honest and recognize that like every number is a person. And what I think is so powerful about podcasting to me, and I do this as a listener, but also as a host is like, you are getting invited into people's like intimate parts of their lives.

40:34Intimate, not in the funky way. Intimate in like, I was in the shower yesterday listening to a podcast, right? Or is listening to a podcast driving to a doctor's appointment. So like, there is something so visceral. I have so many moments in my life where I can tell you exactly where I was when I listened to this one thing in this podcast that changed my life. And so it is a medium where in a world that we've gotten so used to like six second reels and trying to like sum up our entire theory or story or tragedy in a caption, it's this space to like have the ability to share something with context.

41:12And I think so often right now context is missing and it's creating such a divide. So what I would say is like, yes, look at your numbers because they'll tell you what's maybe more popular than other. But like if the data isn't driving you forward or giving you information that is actually helpful, don't only rely on the data. And if you want to do this long term, you have to link it to things that will anchor you in beyond if anybody listens to it or not. And I found this time and time again in my life. when I wrote my book after saying I would never write a book on this podcast, I wrote it before I had a book deal.

41:53I wrote it before I had a publisher. I wrote it so that if the only humans that read it were my daughters, it mattered. And I think that that is the place that we have to create out of more of like, I don't care if it's not received and I don't care if people like it or not. I like it. And so it's a hard place to find in a noisy world. But I think that that's like wear beautiful things. But from a tactical standpoint, I'm not just going to leave you with like the woo. That's the woo. I'll leave you with a little bit of the work. So I would say, look for small wins. So look for things where people do reach out and they say like, hey, Megan, I just listened to this episode and this was my takeaway.

42:34Even if it's like a message, one message that mattered. If you have an email list, look for replies in that. Like invite, once you start really inviting in that action, pay attention to it. And then I would say too, like figure out like, what is the purpose? Don't panic. So like if the numbers aren't growing or a feedback is quiet or whatever that is, like, look at like, okay, what are the niche things that we're covering? What are the titles of our show? Like what is our delivery? What could I tweak? What could I tailor? But the real thing is, is that the work you're doing today on your podcast is still going to be working for you a year from now.

43:12And so it's not done in vain. people are still literally the other day, somebody was like, I went back to episode number one. And I was like, please don't like, but it is, it compounds, it's not lost. And so it might take you a little time to get that traction. But the reality is, is that this work is still going to be working for you. And that's different than what we're learning on social. And so it's not done in vain. And I know you're a passionate person and I know you're in a stage of life where you're just like juggling, like, is it worth it? And so figure out what will make it worth it.

43:48Right. But I will argue until I'm blue in the face that an hour spent recording a podcast versus an hour spent creating a reel. Yeah. Well, 1000 times I would be worth it in my opinion. Amazing. Yeah. And I think it goes back to what you said in the beginning is like, it's that consistency, consistency, keep showing up. And that was kind of the reasons I did start this was I didn't want the things I was sharing to disappear within 24 hours. So yes. Yeah. And the more that you create a system and a rhythm, the more that it doesn't feel like a burden or coming from a place of urgency, the more it feels exciting and doable.

44:30And so that's like the foundational pieces. I think it's like every career, like when I was a photographer, I pictured my days out there shooting photos and I have my camera and I'm so creative. And it's like the taking the pictures was like 2 % and then everything else was the 98%. And if you can create the systems and structure in the 98%, then you get to feel fully alive in that area that you deeply desire to be alive in. And so while systems and all of that is not sexy, I would argue it's the sexiest thing because it unlocks the creativity in the spaces where you really can be creative. And so I think that what I would do is like in your next week is find a pocket of time that you can create a rhythm where you're like, hey, this is going to feel good.

45:17I would also challenge you like if it's coming down to time, record shorter episodes that you can batch and knock out more so that you can get ahead so that you're not coming at it of like, oh my God, it's Wednesday. I need to record again. Yeah. Because I think that will change the energy you're creating from and make it more of like a joy and something that feels easy instead of something that you have to do. Absolutely. I love that so much. Thank you. I needed to hear that. Yes. Okay. Any final questions? I'll give you one more. It can be funny or fun or it can be, I mean, you're a thoughtful question asked.

45:55We have one final question. Okay. My one final question is early on, do you suggest somebody should look at using ads to promote their podcast? So I would say you don't need to. We have never, I think we've recently started just to test it as like a, let's just see if this is worth it. What I would suggest is leveraging Pinterest for your podcast. So let me just give you kind of the overview of this in the next two minutes. So what I would do is kind of going back to the answer about like Pareto's principle of getting out of the creation mode so much that you miss the promotion. What's beautiful is, is that like we have a process where every podcast episode turns into 10 different pins on Pinterest.

46:47Okay. High level Pinterest is a search engine. It's not social media. Yeah. And the average lifespan of a pin is over one year. So one pin on Pinterest will still be working for you one year from now, which is incredible, right? Because we want our episodes to live on. So I always ask people like, is it easier to create a podcast episode or to create 10 graphics using templates for a podcast episode? The latter is usually true. It usually takes 10 minutes. So what I would say for you, Megan, is like with each podcast episode, if you can think of different angles, different ways to promote it. I would go to Pinterest before I would ever go to paid ads.

47:23One, it's free, but two, it keeps things going for a long time. And what's beautiful about it is you'll also start to glean data and insight based on what's performing on Pinterest because it's basically off of a search engine. It's not off of popularity. It's literally off of search volume and what people are looking at and clicking on, which can help guide insight back into your podcast. so that is probably where I would spend my time marketing we are even currently in my business today doing audits on like what is actually worth it on social media when it comes to podcasting because it is tricky and like we don't have high production value I want to record in my home yeah I want to hit record I don't want to have to worry about what I look like I don't you know it's all those things right and so we are literally to this day still like tapping our head like what's worth it here?

48:13We've never had to do that about Pinterest. So that's just where I would put my time and energy and it doesn't take a lot of time, which is the beauty of it. Paid ads could work and we're testing it, but it's not something I'm sold on yet. Paid ads work for a lot of things, but I wouldn't say growing your podcast because it's really hard to see what happens once somebody clicks on an ad because you can't track the back end of it because you don't own the platform. So that's kind of where that, that happens for us. Interesting. That's super helpful. I appreciate that. Yeah. Okay. Megan, tell us where can everybody find out more about you connect with you, listen to your show and all the things you're going to implement.

48:52Give us some space. This is also going to be the best accountability ever, right? Because you're like, all right, I'm on the hook. So now go listen to Megan's show so that you can see her apply all of these things. That's what I was going to say. If you want to follow along with me and see me implement all these amazing tips from Jenna, you can listen to my podcast. It's called Wellness Uncomplicated. Amazing. Megan, thank you so much for being brave. Thank you for being a part of my community. Thank you for listening to the show and thank you for starting your own show. I love podcasting so much, but I just think that there is something so beautiful about people brave enough to hit record and share their story and their expertise with the world.

49:34So thank you so much. Well, thank you, Jenna. You have been in my ear since 2016 and have been a big part of this whole journey. So I really appreciate your time today. I wanted that episode to be a podcasting masterclass and I think it was just that. But if you need to see to believe or you want to learn more about how to start and grow and profit from your own podcast. Now is an amazing time to go save your seat for my free masterclass at freepodcastclass.com. That's freepodcastclass.com. I will show you what you actually need to start a podcast, how you can hit record super easily without overthinking things and how to make money from your show.

50:16Just three easy steps. All you have to do is go to freepodcastclass.com, save your seat and show up. I'll take care of the rest. I absolutely love this podcast. I love the community I've built through it. I love listeners like Megan and I love doing these coaching sessions. If you want to be on a future coaching session for the Gold Digger podcast, make sure you go join our community of insiders that Megan was talking about. It's an incredible space. It's a place to connect with other listeners, ask your biggest questions, gain insights. I'm in there commenting back. It's just a really beautiful group of humans and I'd love to have you be a part of it.

50:51It's also how you can get on one of these episodes to ask your biggest questions. So bonus points if you join in on the community there. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the podcast. I hope you consider having your very own podcast. The podcast world is booming, and I want to help you create the systems and the strategies to launch a show to success, whatever success looks like for you. And of course, until next time, Gold Diggers, keep on digging your biggest goals. And thank you so much for tuning into this episode. Thanks for pulling up a seat for another episode of the Gold Digger podcast.

51:23I hope today's episode filled you with inspiration, gave you information that you can turn into action and realigned you with your true north in life and business. If you've enjoyed today's episode, head on over to golddiggerpodcast.com for today's show notes, discount codes for our sponsors, freebies to fuel your results and so much more. And if you haven't yet, make sure you're subscribed so that you never miss a future show. We'll see you next time, Gold Diggers.

51:53Thank you.